Wireless communication networks exchange user data between communication devices to facilitate various data services, like Internet access, voice calling, video calling, audio streaming, media streaming, gaming, data messaging, and the like. Wireless communication networks allow users to move about as they communicate. A popular form of wireless communication network is Long Term Evolution (LTE). Wireless relays are used to extend the coverage area of wireless networks including LTE networks.
The wireless relays serve user devices and exchange user data with a macro base station or another network gateway. In LTE networks, femto-cell relays and pico-cell relays exchange user data and user signaling over the air between User Equipment (UE) and eNodeBs. The wireless relays also exchange data and signaling between the UEs and a Secure Gateway (Se-GW) over a Local Area Network/Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN). These wireless relay communications use various combinations of Ethernet, Data over Cable System Interface Specification (DOCSIS), Wave Division Multiplex (WDM), Wireless Fidelity (WIFI), Long Term Evolution (LTE), WIFI/LTE Aggregation (LWA), or some other data communication protocol.
Wireless relays may be connected to other wireless relays in a chain configuration back to the macro base station. The number of connections between the macro base station and a wireless relay may also be called a hop count. Communication services may be affected by the hop count or the number of hops to the macro base station. UEs may determine the hop count of the attached wireless relay.